The Record Friction Chronicles:A new beginning

Chapter 7

Lost in the light

Record woke up several days later. He awoke with ears ringing, his head throbbing, and his vision was so blurry he could barely see his hoof in front of his face.

"W-where am I?" Asked Record softly. He rubbed his eyes and his vision started becoming clear.
He was on a twin sized bed in a small white room. There was a dresser to the right of him and on top of it laid his travel bag. Record slowly sat up and started rubbing his head. He looked to the other side of him and there was a granite counter with a sink and white cabinets.
Record looked down and he saw that he was in a hospital gown.

"Hello? Zee? Vinyl?" Record called out. There was no response. He slowly turned to get off of the bed, only to be stopped by a sharp pain in his side. Record fell back holding his. He screamed in agonizing pain at the top of his lungs. He moved the gown slowly and cringed as he moved any muscle in his side. He finally saw what was causing him so much pain.
On the side of the barrel of his torso was a long set of stitches and a dip in the side of his body. Records eyes grew wide and he moved his hoof over the dip in his side. Record knew what the dip was, one of his ribs were broken and missing. He sat up cringing in pain on the threat of tears. But then he remembered Zee.
He got off of the bed, using nearly all of his strength. He went to stand but fell over onto the floor. He moaned and cringed in agonizing pain. Again he went to stand up. He started limping to the door. The pain felt like somepony had taken a super heated metal rod and placed it on his side and left it there to make his skin melt away.
He opened the door and stepped out into the empty hall. All of the other infirmary rooms were empty and the only sounds in the hall were Records hoof steps and what sounded like a fly. Record continued limping through the hallway looking for the way back to the main hall, or at least somepony else. As he kept going he felt as if something was wrong, like something was missing. He thought about it for a minute but nothing came to mind. He carried on his way.
After several minutes he finally made it to the main entrance. The building was in critical condition. A lot of the marble columns on either side of the hall were destroyed. Chunks of stone and tile laid all across the ground like shells on an ocean floor. And huge hole in the ceiling of the castle made itself know as the sunlight irradiated down to the middle of the room.
Record suddenly turned his attention to the sound of hoof steps not far away.

"Hello?" Spoke Record softly. The steps paused for a moment but then the pace increased and came closer to him. Finally the source of the sound made itself known. From around the corner came Sleepy Zee with a small bandage on her cheek. When Record and Zee made eye contact neither of them spoke. A weak smile came upon both of their faces after a minute. Record slowly walked up to Zee slowly. Finally Zee broke the silence.

"Record..." She spoke softly. "H-how does it feel?" Record smiled and chuckled softly.

"It hurts...a lot." Said Record trying to laugh the pain away. Zee didn't have the same optimism Record had at the moment. "How long was I out?" Asked Record with fear in his voice.

"Four days."

"F-four days?" Records eyes opened wide at the sound of that. "Where's vinyl and cyber? Who was that alicorn? Wha-" Record was cut off by Zee.

"I think you'll want to hear it from the princess first." Zees put her head down sadly and proceeded around the same corner she came in. Record followed her.
They both entered the main throne room. This room had the worst if the beatings. Most of the windows were shattered, one of the doors were hanging on by one rivet in the hinge. All the walls and ceiling were broken if not cracked in one way or another. I looked almost as if the apocalypse had taken place, but yet again it almost did.
Standing in the center of the room was Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They both looked around looking examining everything. Celestia looked down with much sadness.

"Everything we worked so hard to build...destroyed in minutes." She said.

"I know your sorrow sister." Said Luna with a tear in her eye. They both looked over to Record and Celestia forced a smile onto her face. They both walked over to Record and Celestia spoke with a low toned voice.

"You're awake." Celestia said still smiling. Record responded slowly.

"Y-yes princess...your highness...who was that alicorn who attacked canterlot?"

Celestia looked down slowly an she took a deep breath.

"We don't know his true name, but as the prophecy says his name is 'Zero'." Record looked up at her with confusion in his eyes.

"Zero? What kind of name is that?"

"He is actually the embodiment of evil Record." Said Luna with fear in her eyes.

"How so?"

Both of the princesses sighed and looked down. They both walked up to each other and their horns began to glow. As their horns touched a beam of light shined down on the floor.
The radius of the beam increased and a small pool with an orange glow around the margin of it. Record looked into the pool and what he saw frightened him.
There he was walking in the middle of ponyville, but it was different. No pony was on the streets and no birds chirped happily in the trees. Instead there was nothing but ash and soot in the air. The trees were dead and the buildings were in ruins. The scene faded and what he saw was worse that the last.
Everypony in all of equestria were in chains. Not one of them had a smile in their face. They all worked endlessly as slaves. He saw them farming, mining, producing coal, and all things industrial. Again the scene faded one last time.
He then saw the canterlot castle. All the beautiful colors of the castle walls had been repainted to black. The beautiful garden had been turned into a slave feeding hall. Lastly the throne room was what sent a cold, bone rattling, chill down Records spine. There siting in the throne...was Zero. He had a maniacal grin on his face that could unnerve anypony. In his hooves he held two chains, one of them was attached to Princess Celeatia while the other was attached to Princess Luna. Record was unable to control himself as he was forced down onto a stone block by some changelings in front of Zero. He struggled frantically to break free, but nothing worked. A black crystal pony wearing a mask had walked up next to Record wielding a giant axe. Record couldn't move and he just laid his head on the stone block paralyses by fear. The pony lifted the axe high above his head. Record felt a tear run down his cheek as he took one last look at the princesses. He looked back up at the pony as the axe came storming down.
Record pulled his head out of the pool gasping for air. He had just witnessed the most traumatizing nightmare if his life. Still shaking Record sat down. Zee walked over to him and rubbed his mane with her hooves calming him down slowly.

"W-what was that?" Asked Record slowly.

"That was the prophecy, Record. It is said that the one pony who is seen fit by the royal family is able to remove the source of power by the unholy one."

"W-wait you're saying...I'm the one?" Princess Luna nodded at Records question. Record slumped over and began crying from the stress that was suddenly placed upon him.

"I know this is a lot to take in all at once Record." Said Princess Celestia. "But we know how to defeat Zero." Record looked up, his eyes red and puffy from crying.

"How? How do I do it? How can I do it? There's no way somepony like me can face that monstrosity." Celestia looked down as Record said that.

"Do you not remember what happened before you woke up?" She spoke. Record looked down trying to remember what had happened. He couldn't remember anything about the incident. Record shook his head and looked down.

"Sorry I don't remember anything."

"Well before you fainted you had a sudden burst of power that overwhelmed you and you defeated Zero. That is how you're going to be able to defeat him." Record looked down.

"How did I get the power?" Asked Record. Celestia took a step back as if she was hoping he wouldn't ask that question.

"Record...there is something you must know." Said Zee slowly. Records heart started racing.

"Your mother and father...are dead." Said Celestia. Records heart had literally skipped a beat when he heard those last two word. Record had begun to cry again...until he remembered Vinyl.

"Vinyl?! Where's my sister?" Record sprung up looking around for her. Luna then spoke calmly.

"Zero and his goons had taken her hostage not long after you passed out Record." Record tried to think of what had happened then he remembered something. He had remembered hearing screaming when he was on the verge of passing out.

"S-so my sister...is now his bitch?" Spike Record firmly looking Celestia in the eye.
Celestia didn't say a word and she just looked out a window and sighed. Record shook his head and paced in the main throne room.

"You said you knew how to defeat him...is that true?" Asked Zee.

"It certainly is." Said Celestia as she lifted her head. "It's his wings." Record looked at her as if he thought she was telling a joke.

"His wings? HIS WINGS? Are you...freaking insane?" Shouted Record. Celestia looked at him then continued.

"His wings aren't normal...didn't you see how they were formed?" Record tried to remember what Zero looked like then remembered his wings. They both looked as if they were magically embedded and built into his body. The wings looked almost of that as a robotic owls wing. 'What did that have to do with his power?' Record thought to himself. Luna then began speaking.

"All we know is that his wings can only be destroyed one way. But unfortunately we do not know how." Record seemed to be lost in questions.

"Do you know anypony who might be able to help?" Asked Record as politely as he could and Celestia nodded.

"Indeed I do...to the south of canterlot there is a small town called ponyville. There you will find two ponies named Nightstory and Darzell. They may know more of this alicorn but I cannot promise you that. Darzel will be leaving town soon so you may wish to find him first." Said Celestia happily. Record looked down and nodded.

"Thank you princess. I will make haste to ponyville quickly." Right as Record said that Cyber walked through the main entrance doors.

"Hey Record, I'm so glad to see you're up." Said Cyber.

"Thanks man, great to see you're alive." Said Record. Cyber chuckled and turned his attention back to the princesses.

"Princess Celestia I did as you requested and hired the best construction ponies in all of equestria."

"Thank you Cyber." Said Celestia. "Now we can restore Canterlot castle."

"Absolutely your highness. Is there anything else you wish for me to do?"

"Yes." Said Luna. "Go with Record to ponyville and track down the two ponies names Darzell and Nightstory!"

"Yes your highnesses. Are you ready Record?"

"Y-yeah I'm ready to go." Said Record with a short smile on his face.
Record honestly had no idea what he was going to do. His sister has been kidnapped, his parents are dead, he's being told to go on quests, he must stop an impending doom from destroying everything that the world worked so hard to build up from a pony who's only weakness is undiscovered. Record is lost in the lights of confusion. He goes to walk out the main entrance to the castle and slowly turns his head and looks behind him. Zee and Cyber are standing behind him. He smiles and takes a deep breath.

"We're here for you Record." Said Zee. Record blushes slightly and nods. He walks out of the castle with his head high into the sunlight of the cool autumn day. He knows what he must do.

"Well...onward to ponyville." Said Record as they all trotted off toward the train yard. Record remembered the happiness of his parents and he looked down at the ground as tears hit the soft soil and replayed a mental thought in his head over and over again saying only 'I will avenge you both.' Record smiled and looked at his best friends as they proceeded onwards to their destination of ponyville, and none of them could be happier.